From: cmorris@mcp.com (Christopher Morris) Tue May 6 20:55:36 1997
Jasmine:
Trying to stir up the hornet's nest, are we? Hmmm. Well, if you're looking for opinions, here goes:
It seems to me that you're talking about a) everybody's inalienable right to worship whoever/however they choose and b) everybody's inalienable right to defend unpopular opinions to the death. These are both very noble things, and nothing to trifle with (no doubt). But perhaps what you're missing is c) everybody's inalienable right to have a good laugh at someone else's expense.
Now, admittedly (c) above is far less noble than (a) or (b), but I think it's also nothing to get offended at. It seems to me that the Darwins are just having some fun (albeit politically incorrect fun), and though their taste may be off-center, their heart's in the right place. I don't think any of them in particular would have a problem defending (a) and (b) above, but if that means I can't make fun of The Cult of People Who Worship Jelly Donuts (or whatever), then -I'm- being stifled, and -my- rights are (in my opinion) being infringed. Said Darwins are guilty of bad taste, yes, but bad taste is something that should never be legislated, or doctrinated, against. It's just an opinion, and as William Burroughs once said, "Others disagree."
Don't know if that's the sort of opinion you were looking for, but there ya have it.
Later...